Sina-Movahed vs wonderfultime: game review

32…Nc8 is a mistake: Black's winning chances go from 50% to 34%.

• White answers 33.f4: a pawn break: it challenges the e5 pawn to open lines.
• Better was 32…g5 (0.00), which pushes a pawn towards the White king, to pry open lines in front of it.

Better: 32…g5 pushes the pawn storm towards the king. Engine line: 33.Ra2 Kg7 34.Qc2 R8f7 35.Ra6 Qc7 (0.00).

33.Nh3 misses the chance 32…Nc8 gave: f4 would have punished it. White's winning chances go from 66% to 53%.

• Black answers 33…g5, which pushes a pawn towards the White king, to pry open lines in front of it.
• Better was 33.f4 (+1.86): a pawn break: it challenges the e5 pawn to open lines.

Better: 33.f4 challenges the e5 pawn. Engine line: 33…Nb6 34.f5 Na4 35.Rc1 g5 36.Nf3 (+1.86).

36…Rf6! The only good move here: every alternative is clearly worse.

• The next best move, 36…Qg6, would drop Black's winning chances from 50% to 40% (+1.15).
• 36…Rf6 stops Rxc6 and threatens …Na4, winning the exchange, picking it up with 38…Nxc5.
• White was threatening Rxc6, winning a pawn. Rf6 takes care of it.
• It threatens …Na4, winning the exchange, picking it up with 38…Nxc5, so White has to spend the next move on it.
• The engine's plan continues with …Nd7 and …Ng4: this move is the first step.
• White answers 37.f4.

39…Qe6 is a mistake: Black's winning chances go from 50% to 30%.

• White answers 40.f5, which attacks the queen.
• Better was 39…exf4 (0.00), which takes the pawn on f4.

Better: 39…exf4 wins a pawn. After 40.Rxf4 Qxb4 41.Rg4 Nd5 42.Qxb4 Nxb4 43.Nf4, the queens come off and Black comes out a pawn up (0.00).

42.Rh4! The only good move here: every alternative is clearly worse.

• Attacks the queen.
• The next best move, 42.Nh3, would drop White's winning chances from 62% to 51% (+0.08).
• 42.Rh4 threatens Rxg4, winning the queen for a knight, and stops …hxg5.
• It threatens Rxg4, winning the queen for a knight, so Black has to spend the next move on it.
• Black was threatening …hxg5, winning a knight and a pawn. Rh4 takes care of it.
• Black answers 42…Qd1, winning the queen.

43…exf4 is a mistake: Black's winning chances go from 49% to 32%.

• White answers 44.gxf4, which takes the pawn on f4.
• After gxf4, White wins 1 point of material within 4 moves.
• Better was 43…c5 (+0.08): a pawn break: it challenges the b4 pawn to open lines.

Better: 43…c5 challenges the b4 pawn. After 44.bxc5 b4 45.Qxd1 Nxd1 46.Rd2 Ne3+, the queens come off and Black is a pawn down (+0.08).

50.Rxa2! The only good move here: every alternative is clearly worse.

• Takes the rook on a2.
• The next best move, 50.Rf2, would drop White's winning chances from 83% to 72% (+2.52).
• 50.Rxa2 trades off the attacked rook instead of losing it to …Rxd2+.
• Black was threatening …Rxd2+, winning a rook. The rook takes something with it instead.
• Trades rooks: trading pieces when ahead brings the win closer.
• The rook on a2 can be taken by the knight on c3.

52.Ke4! The only good move here: every alternative is clearly worse.

• Attacks the d4 pawn, which is undefended.
• The next best move, 52.g4, would drop White's winning chances from 71% to 52% (+0.24).
• 52.Ke4 attacks the d4 pawn, which is undefended.
• Black answers 52…Ra7.
• After 52…Ra7 53.Ke5 Ra6 54.Kxd4 Ra3 55.Rf5, White comes out a pawn up (+2.30).

• Both sides followed opening theory up to 8…Ng4: 16 moves in all, 8 by White and 8 by Black.
• Theory runs out after 8…Ng4: too few games between strong players reached this position to go further.